Toilet-paper fixture.



PATBNTED JULY 2, 1907.

G. c. MATHBR. TOILET PAPER FIXTURE. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 1. 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE C. MATHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONEII'ALF TO WILLIAM WIRT HURD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TOILET-PAPER FIXTURE.

Patented July 2, 1907.

Application filed October 1, 1906. erial No. 336.862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. MATHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of look and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toilet-Paper Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in toilet paper fixtures, and refers more particularly to improvements in that type of fixtures in which a flattened roll of paper is held immovably upon the fixture and the paper is so cut as to tear off in uniform lengths across the line of cut.

Among the salient objects of the invention are to provide a fixture which is suitable for holding a paper roll of extremely simple and economical maufacture and so holding the paper that it will be most readily accessible; to provide a construction consisting of a plurality of simple castings which when assembled become a I rigid structure without fastenings other than the single fastening which is necessary to open and close the fixture for adjusting the roll to position; to provide a fixture which while holding the roll rigid at the same time holds one side of the latter in such bent position as to facilitate the loosening and dropping down of the succeeding section of paper; to. provide a construction which cannot be unlocked until the roll of paper has been consumed; to provide a construction which is neat and finished in appearance and susceptible of being readily attached to a supporting wall; and in general to provide a simple and improved device of the character referred to.

To the above ends the invention consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings-Figure l is a perspective view of a fixture constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on line 2-2 of Fig. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 2 and looking downwardly; Fig. 5 is a detailshowing in elevation the rear face of one of the paper rolls.

In the art of toilet paper fixtures, the matter of first cost of construction is an extremely important factor in the commercial success or failure of the device, it being understood that these fixtures are often if not usually furnished to the owners of buildings gratis or in consideration of their using a definite brand of supplies.

In the present instance I have provided a fixture the several parts of which are, with a single exception, all cast and of comparatively simple form, and are suitable to be assembled and successfully used without any fitting or machining whatever, although these castings are frequently polished as to some of the exterior parts as a matter of embellishment.

Describing the fixture, l designates as a whole a back or base member which is substantially fiat, for ready application to a wall, and comprises an upper tablet portion 2, usually containing the sign of the vendor, and two depending arms or extensions 3, 3, and each provided with an integral outturned and rcarwardly directed A-shaped clip or hook 4. Through the back extend screw-slots 5 which are arranged at the respective ends of the back and are obliquely disposed relatively to each other, thus enabling the back to be adjusted to an accurately horizontal position without the exercise of any special care in inserting the securing screws therethrough.

6 and 7 respectively, designate two bracket arms, which are detachably connected with the back member 1 and together form a roll supporting bracket. Each of said arms terminates at its back end in a rectangular loop 8, the openings of which loops are constructed to fit accurately upon the hooks i so that when engaged with said hooks the arms are rigid against vertical oscillatory movement. Moreover each bracket arm is provided at its inner side with a shoulder 9 (see Fig. 4) which engages the adjacent face of the back plate and positively limits the hinge movement of the bracket arm in a direction toward the opposed arm; these shoulders being so disposed that the arms become rigid when in right angled relation to the back plate. Both bracket arms are, however, free to swing or hinge outwardly away from each other. The arm 6 carries an integral platelike mandrel 10 which extends at right angles to the arm, 1'. e. parallel to the back plate when the parts are in assembled relation. Along the inner face of this mandrel is provided a relatively shallow horizontally disposed groove 11 in which is mounted a plate spring 12; the one end of the spring being conveniently riveted through the mandrel, as seen at 13. The end of this spring overlies and terminates within a horizontally extending slot 14 in the free end of the mandrel, and the free end of the spring terminates in an outturned catch l5 (see Fig. 4);

. The arm 7 carries at its outer end an integral striker 16 which is notched, as indicated at 17, to receive the engaging end of the latch spring, and that surface of the striker within which the notch 17 is formed is beveled to act as a guide which will direct the end of the latch into the notch during the relative approach of the arms to each other. The end of the striker enters the slot 14 in the mandrel but is shorter than the depth of the slot so that an opening 18 is provided through the mandrel through which a nail, pencil point, or similar instrument may be inserted to force back the latch spring and unlock the arms, when the roll of paper has been removed.

The roll used with this fixture consists of a flat oval 19 wound in the usual manner from the center outwardly and provided across one side (the rear side as the paper is mounted in the fixture) with a series of short cuts 20 (see Fig. 5) extending entirely across the width of the roll but offset relatively to each other so that the side of the roll is not completely severed. The peculiar manner in which the roll is cut is of importance, because the cuts must so weaken the paper at the separating point that it will always tear here rather than elsewhere, notwithstanding the fact that the end of the paper which is pulled upon extends upwardly across the front face of the roll and over its top (see Fig. 2). When out as described, the paper tears across between the offset ends of the cuts, as indicated in dotted lines at 21, which tears it will be noted are practically in alinement with the grain of the paper.

7 An important feature of the present fixture resides in providing upon the supporting bracket projections .which serve to hold the outer edges of the lower hall of the inner side of the roll flexed outwardly in such manner as to facilitate the loosening of the free end of the web of paper and thus insuring its dropping down in position to be grasped. These deflecting members or projections are designated 22 and 23, and in the present construction shown are formed as triangular fillets which occupy the inner angle of each bracket arm at points just below the latch mechanism, 1, e. at points in register with the cut portions 24 of the roll which are thereby pressed outwardly, as seen clearly in Fig. 2.

The paper' rolls are provided with a pasteboard or analogous lining 25, which serves as the foundation upon which the Web of paper is wound, and it is to be noted that the cuts 20 extend not only through the paper proper but through the lining 25. Accordingly when the roll is adjusted to position the lining together with the superposed paper will be pressed outwardly, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 4. When thus arranged it will be obvious that a pull on the depending flap of the web will tend to rotate the roll in the direction to cause its rear side to shiit upwardly, and this upward shifting of the paper across the inclined rear 1" aces oi the projections or deflectors 22 will obviously tend to loosen the remaining end of the web each time a. section is pulled ot'i. Moreover the presence oi these deflectors tends to prevent the roll from being rotated upon the mandrel, although the flat term of the latter limits such movement independently oi the deflectors. 'lo cooperate in thus holding the roll against rotation, the end of the mandrel, integral with the arm to which it is attached, is made broad, practically of the full width of the opening of the roll, and for the same purpose the opposite arm is provided with a lug-like projcction 2t; which extends within the roll when the parts are as sembled.

I make no claim to the peculiar construction of the roll of paper in the present application, this being mad e the subject oi a separate application liled contemporaneously herewith.

I claim as my invention:

1. A paper fixture comprising a baclvplate, bracket arms detachahly hinged thereto at opposite sides and having shouldered engagement with the baclcplate whereby they are each held rigid at a detinite angle with the plate, a flat mandrel rigid with one bracket arm. a plate spring latch mounted upon and extending along said mandrel, and a striker projection upon the opposite bracket arm, notched for engagement with said latch and provided with a guide surface arranged to direct the latch into the notch during relative approach of said parts, said mandrel and striker having intertittina parts whereby they are held rigid with each other when latched together.

2. A paper Iixture comprising a hack-plate, bracket arms connected thereto at: opposite sides of the backplate, a tlat mandrel rigid with one of said arms and arranged in a vertical plane and extending to the opposite bracket arm, and deflector projections at the inner side of said mandrel at the junction of the latter with the bracket arms, substantially as described.

GEORGE t. MA'llll'llL.

Witnesses ALBERT II. GRAVES, EMILIE Rose. 

